Police Amendment Bill: Govt will have to introduce a replacement

Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe will have to bring another Police Amendment Bill as the one that was under the 5^th Session of the 9^th Parliament has expired and cannot be recommitted to the Order Paper.

The Bill was meant to bring several changes to how the police operate in Zimbabwe.

However, the Bill has failed to move on several occasions as both the sponsoring minister and Parliamentarians prioritized other things.

According to legal and Parliamentary watchdog, Veritas Zimbabwe, the laws that govern the operations of Parliament does not allow a Bill to be recommitted twice.

Its not just the Police Amendment Bill that is affected, but also the Public Finance Management Bill.

In its Bill watch series, Veritas Zimbabwe said new bills will have to be introduced if the government is still keen on the matters.

‘’Police Amendment Bill – as this Third Session Bill has already been restored to the Order Paper once for the Fourth Session, Standing Order 171(4) prohibits a second restoration. The effect is that a new Bill will have to be introduced to replace it.

‘’Public Finance Management Amendment Bill– as this Third Session Bill has already been restored to the Order Paper once for the Fourth Session, Standing Order 171(4) prohibits a second restoration. The effect is that a new Bill will have to be introduced to replace it,’’ said Veritas.

Meanwhile, Veritas Zimbabwe has highlighted that the legislative agenda that was set by President Emmerson Mnangagwa is almost unachievable due to the little time that is left before Parliament is dissolved.

‘’Once again both the Executive has set Parliament an almost unachievable Legislative Agenda to be accomplished in what must inevitably be an unusually short session, given its very late start and it’s necessarily early ending before the end of July 2023 when the 2023 General Election must take place.

‘’In fact, if the 2018 General Election is anything to go by, Parliament is likely to cease sitting much earlier in order to allow for adequate time for election campaigning. In 2018, when polling took place at the very end of July, Parliament adjourned for the last time when Parliament’s last sitting of the session was on 7th June.

‘’It must also be borne in mind that the 2023 National Budget has already been presented on 24th November and is likely to keep Parliament busy for a couple of weeks starting on Tuesday 6th December, when both Houses will next sit,’’ said Veritas in its Bill Watch.

Police Amendment Bill: Govt will have to introduce a replacement